From the building of the first permanent settlement on the site of present-day Chicago in 1779 to Oprah Winfrey’s television debut in 1984, It Happened in Chicago tells the stories of intriguing people and events from the history of the Windy City.

Find out how the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair turned out to be a glorious emblem of late-nineteenth-century American progress, despite predictions by some New Yorkers that it would be little more than a “cattle show.” Read all about America’s first automobile race, which set out from Chicago in 1895.

Learn how the paths of two very different Hoffmans—federal judge Julius Jennings Hoffman and Yippie leader Abbie Hoffman—collided in 1969.

* Which Chicago incident was dramatized in a motion picture starring James Stewart?

* How a mild-mannered optician's choice of friends sealed his fate?

* Who claimed ownership of nearly 200 acres of lakefront property -- and turned his outhouse into a Temple of Justice?

* What significant event occurred in a wigwam, yet had nothing to do with Native Americans?

Join author Scotti Cohn for a glimpse into events that shaped the history of the Windy City. Using Scotti's book, It Happened in Chicago, you'll explore unfamiliar events as well as little known details concerning famous incidents.

For library or small-group visits, Scotti typically requests a small honorarium and/or travel expenses as payment for her presentation.

Scotti is also available for presentations about researching and writing nonfiction. Programs include information on how to find sources, how to avoid plagiarizing, and how to organize the components of a book.

SCHOOL VISITS

I charge $400 for a full day (up to 4 presentations), plus travel expenses for travel to locations outside my local area. Adjustments can be made for shorter visits.

If a school wishes to have me autograph books for the students, I request that arrangements be made with a local bookstore to provide the books and handle sales. I am not set up to supply and sell books.

If cost is a concern, many companies support education by providing grants that may be used toward author visits.